Talented roster guides WCSSC, Acalanes

To say the Walnut Creek Surf Soccer Club 2003/2004 boys team had a good season would be putting it lightly. The team heads into the NorCal College Showcase in Davis, and then the San Diego Surf Cup, with a record of 29-5-3, clinching second place in their division and have qualified for the NorCal Premier League Champion's League. The team is absolutely loaded with a 23-man roster that features players that can be in the starting XI at any time. "Every player can and has started and the team is exceptionally balanced," head coach Paul Curtis said. "Everyone one of them will be a starter on their high school team and many of them will be captains." Curtis is lucky to have eight of these players playing for him at Acalanes for the high school season, which bodes well for the Dons and their chances of a Diablo Athletic League and North Coast Section Division II crown. "This will be a strong team," Curtis said. "We are deep with 25 on the roster and have a nice mix of upper and underclassmen. There is a lot of maturity on this team as well." <h5>Daniel Adri, Senior, Center Back</h5> Adri is the field marshal for the Dons. He is an exceptional leader and keeps the defense organized. He also has an exceptional size at 6-2, making him a physical force in the middle of the defense. <h5>Mason Fish, Senior, Center Back</h5> Fish and Adri have been paired together for six seasons now, and compliment each other very well. Fish is also a big defender at 6-1 and is very good at rotating and covering when his defensive mates push forward. <h5>Liam McGlynn, Senior, Center/Outside Back</h5> McGlynn is versatile and can play in the middle of the defense or on the outside. He joins the other two in being a big defender, 6-2, and on top of being a force as a defender he has a very strong free kick and has the ability to score from outside the box. <h5>Jacob Hill, Senior, Outside Back</h5> The Dons will have an outstanding back four, with Hill rounding out the foursome. When he was a freshman he was declared the future of Acalanes soccer and has not disappointed. He's the captain, a team leader, shows advanced maturity and is a solid 1-on-1 defender. <h5>Aidan Nelson, Senior, Forward</h5> If you thought Acalanes had a big back line, well that have size up top too as their striker is a six-footer. He's got good strength to go with his size, a rocket right-footed shot that picks up speed as it goes. He's also a very crafty striker that doesn't look to take defenders on, but finds pockets of space and gets behind the defense. <h5>Eli Roth, Junior, Wing</h5> Roth is an incredibly fast player, perhaps the fastest on the team. He plays very direct, gets up and down the pitch quickly and has a powerful shot with both feet. <h5>Matt Walner, Senior, Center Mid</h5> Walner is the hardest working player on the pitch for the Dons, and for WCSSC. He made the varsity team as a freshman. He is a very hard worker, dedicated to his fitness and has very quick and excellent footwork. <h5>Cem Adatepe, Senior, Center Mid</h5> Adatepe adds creativity to the midfield with exceptional touch and vision. On top of this, he is a very smart player and uses his ability and intelligence to help the team.